Willis Wilson, who committed nearly half of his life to Rice basketball, was fired Friday, just two days after completing his 16th season as the Owls' head coach.

Wilson, 47, enjoyed the longest tenure of any coach in school annals. His 219-246 record includes the most victories, losses and games coached (465) in program history.

But the Owls failed to win a Conference USA game in 2007-08 (0-16), endured a 20-game losing streak, the third-longest in school history, and compiled a 3-27 overall record that matched their worst single-season win total. Rice finished 3-24 in 1975-76.

"Willis has been very successful as a coach here," Rice athletic director Chris Del Conte said. "He's a good person and a great man, but after a period of time, I just felt that we were in a position where we needed to make a change. As an institution, we needed to go in a different direction."

Contacted Friday night, Wilson declined to comment.

With antiquated Autry Court undergoing renovations this season in preparation for next season's reopening, the Owls were forced to play their "home" games at three venues — Reliant Arena, the Merrill Center in Katy and Toyota Center. Add to that nomadic existence a rash of injuries that sidelined four of the five players who started the season opener at TCU on Nov. 13, and the result was a disastrous finish.

That Wilson was dismissed before he could coach in remodeled Autry Court, slated to debut this fall, is an ironic twist, for Wilson began pushing for refurbishments there in the mid-1990s. He played an active role in fundraising for the $25 million project, with former teammate, Bobby Tudor, responsible for at least $7 million in contributions.

"The fact that Willis has a tight connection with every one of (the donors), it would have been really nice to see him coach in that building," said Marty Gillespie, an assistant to Wilson for seven seasons. "The year we had, regardless of the circumstances and situations, loaded the gun for the administration."

A native of Silver Spring, Md., Wilson was a four-year letterwinner with the Owls (1978-82) and co-captain of the 1981-82 squad. He spent five seasons as a Rice assistant before returning in 1992 to coach his alma mater following a one-year stint as an assistant at Stanford. He immediately guided the Owls to an appearance in the postseason NIT in 1993, and later steered Rice to consecutive NIT appearances in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

However, Wilson was unable to lift the Owls into the NCAA Tournament, continuing a drought that began in 1970-71. Wilson enjoyed seven winning seasons but also endured two with single-digit win totals: 6-22 in 1997-98 and 5-22 in 1999-2000. Wilson supporters cited Autry Court as a hindrance to stability, while detractors harped on the Owls' inability to sustain consistency as a symbol of Wilson's limitations.

"The overall body of work was very good," Del Conte said. "But the body of work had significant peaks and valleys, and when you go through peaks and valleys over a long period of time, you lose momentum (and) you lose interest."

While debate lingers over how Wilson's accomplishments should be viewed, there is no questioning his character or the manner in which he represented Rice. Wilson was widely respected in coaching circles and engendered lasting loyalty among his players. Omar Mance and Brent Scott, dismissed with Wilson and Gillespie, cited respect for Wilson as a reason for their return to Rice after successful playing careers.

Former All-American Morris Almond credited his relationship with Wilson as a factor behind his decision to sign with Rice instead of programs with prominent national profiles.

Wilson never ran afoul with the NCAA, and was renowned for his humanitarian efforts.

"In a year when there were so many things out of your control, you'd like to see an extension of grace on top of that," said Eric Nelson of Athletes in Action.

Ultimately, Wilson's lengthy relationship with Rice did not prevent his dismissal.

"Our program just needed to have new life breathed in it," said Del Conte, who added that a search for Wilson's successor will begin immediately.